A Brooklyn Bridge Rainforest Grows in Guyana (Sorry)

As some of you may know, the planks used for the Brooklyn Bridge’s bike and pedestrian way are made from tropical hardwood (because it’s strong and abides through crazy weather). Some of you may also know that harvesting tropical hardwood is bad for South America’s rainforests, which are mostly fucked. So what to do about parts of the Brooklyn Bridge walkway in need of repair?

Well, most suggestions look to synthetic and/or recycled materials, which I completely understand, but a designer named Scott Francisco has come up with a project called Brooklyn Bridge Forest, whereby a small plot of rainforest would be purchased in Guyana to be sustainably managed for Brooklyn Bridge planks. Not only would this maintain the integrity of the current bridge but it would also create a model for small, sustainable projects (creating local jobs) in an area devastated by massively scaled industrial forestry. Which sounds good to me.

One Comment

Wow – Someone who gets it. The biggest enemy of rainforests are poverty and corruption. This projects aims to tackle both at the same time. 11,000 eyes on a (small) project that can highlight the issues on the global stage and offer a tiny piece to a global solution. Education, economy and transparency are the most important aspects to saving the world’s forests. NYC simply swearing off all hardwoods will not solve the problem – but changing the way we consume this wood and taking responsibility for where it comes from just might. Thanks for an open mind! -Scott